A unit of measurement for energy, specifically the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. In nutrition, it refers to the energy content of food.
From French calorie, derived from Latin calor meaning 'heat'. The term was coined by French chemist Nicolas Clément in the early 19th century as scientists began to understand heat as a form of energy.
The 'calories' on food labels are actually kilocalories - 1,000 times larger than the scientific calorie! This means when you eat a 100-calorie snack, you're consuming enough energy to heat 100 kilograms of water by 1°C.
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